Are you a practicing clinician who has been disappointed with the stethoscope you own now?

Whether you are buying a stethoscope for personal use or for a gift, cardiology stethoscopes is among the popular choices. It is also natural for you to raise several questions about this purchase, especially when you have no background or experience in the medical field. To ease your anxiety and to provide you ample assistance, I answered some of the common questions asked about cardiology stethoscopes.

1.What Is A Cardiology Stethoscope?

Cardiology stethoscope, also referred to as cardiac stethoscope, is a special type of stethoscope. It is designed with features which enable it to perform superior functions among the others. I know you must be confused and curious as well if there are other types of stethoscope in the market.

To give you a brief explanation, let’s check the next question and determine the different stethoscopes.

2.How Is A Cardiology Stethoscope Different From A Regular Stethoscope?

Generally, a stethoscope is an essential medical instrument used for the amplification of the sounds coming from the different parts of the body. These include the heart, lungs and abdomen. This function can be expected from both a regular and a cardiology stethoscope. One major difference between the two is the chest piece. The chest piece of a regular stethoscope has a bell and a diaphragm. The bell is for sounds with low frequency, while the diaphragm is for those that are high. Instead of having a bell and a diaphragm, most cardiology stethoscopes feature a tunable diaphragm on both sides.

Would you like to know the benefits of a tunable stethoscope?

If so, let’s check out question #3 and discuss it.

3.What Are The Benefits Of Having A Tunable Diaphragm?

With a tunable diaphragm, the examiner does not have to remove the chest piece from the patient in order to listen for high and low frequency sounds. Low frequency sounds are heard louder with a tunable diaphragm than with a regular bell.

Since tunable diaphragms are present on both sides of the cardiology stethoscope’s chest piece, the large side can be used for adult and the small side can be used for pediatric or thin patients. This spares you from buying two different stethoscopes for these two populations of patients.

4.What Are The Other Basic Parts Of A Cardiology Stethoscope?

Aside from the chest piece, there are three other basic parts of a cardiology stethoscope. The first is the pair of ear pieces. These are the ones which you fit into your ears.

Second is the pair of ear tubes. These ear tubes are responsible for attaching the ear pieces to the stethoscope’s main body.

The last basic part is the tubing. The tubing connects the chest piece to the ear tube. Here is a link to an illustration of the mentioned parts I know you want to know more so on our next question let’s talk about the great components of a cardiology stethoscope.

5.What Makes A Good Cardiology Stethoscope?

The first thing that you need to consider is the fit of the ear pieces. Ear pieces are the part of the stethoscope which you will actually wear. That is why you need to make sure that you are comfortable with how well they will fit inside your ears. Make sure that they also provide great seal and durability.

For the ear tubes, it is best to purchase a model which is made of stainless steel. This will guarantee better longevity. Finally, your cardiology stethoscope should feature tubing with appropriate length.

Make sure that the length is ample enough to make examination comfortable for you and your patient. Are you curios if the hearing ability using short or long stethoscope tubes are great? Let’s check on the answer that is found on our next question.

6.Will I Hear Better With Short Tubing?

This was believed before by earlier publications but recent laboratory testing revealed that the difference between the sound transmitted by short and long tubing is not extremely significant to be picked up by an average person.

Thus, tube length is no longer considered to affect the auscultation response. Just make sure that the length is long enough to comfortably drape your stethoscope around your neck. Ensure that it does not cause you the hassle of bending over just to reach the patient you are examining.

7.How Much Do They Cost?

The price of regular cardiology stethoscopes with outstanding quality ranges from $150 to $250. There are cheaper models available. Since you will most likely get what you paid for, you need to be wary about purchasing more affordable models. If you are buying for educational purposes, it may be advisable to keep your budget below $200.

You can purchase your cardiology stethoscope at your local medical equipment store. You may also choose to shop conveniently at home through several online stores. Amazon lists their top-rated cardiology stethoscopes, including the cardiology types,

Now that you know where to purchase a high quality stethoscope, let’s talk about the companies that are well known for its cardiology stethoscopes on our next point.

9.What Are The Companies Known To Manufacture High-Quallty Cardiology Stethoscope?

The most popular brand of stethoscope is Littmann. It has remained at the top of the business for several years now. Littman Cardiology and Littman Master Cardiology are among the series they offer. The Black Edition is also more popular compared to the others because of the sophistication it offers.

A good product review of the mentioned series can be found in these .Welch Allyn is another superior brand. Its Harvey Series is undoubtedly among the outstanding cardiology stethoscopes available now in the market. Sprague Rappaport is also a great choice.

Now that the list of questions is about to end, I’m sure you’d still like to know everything about cardiology stethoscope and let’s discuss it on our last and final question.

10.What Else Should I Look and Consider For My Cardiology Stethoscope?

To make sure that you are making a sound choice, it is best to check the feedbacks and reviews about your selected cardiology stethoscope. This will help you identify the strengths and weaknesses of each model. This will also allow you to confirm if your selected brand can meet your requirements.

Consider the warranty being offered by the manufacturer as well. You also need to check the availability of replacement parts to ensure that you can easily procure them if needed. Littman is known for this aspect.

Now that some of the questions you share with others are answered, I expect that you are feeling less anxious about choosing the best cardiology stethoscope either for you or your loved one. You have definitely earned enough knowledge which can sufficiently help you procure the satisfactory item for your needs.

With the guidelines provided here, you are certainly several steps closer to owning your best cardiology stethoscopes.

Best of luck!

I’m probably leaving out some information. What other tips can you provide? Let me know in the comments.

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